Salt-cellar



Patented Feb. 7, I899.

No. 6l8,833.

H. BINLEYY.

SALT CELLAR.

(Application filed Oct. 12, 1898.)

(No Model.)

VIII/A WITNESSES:

NITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HENRY BINLEY, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

SALT-CELLAR.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 618,833, dated February'7, 1899.

Application filed October 12,1898. Serial No. 693,272. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HENRY BINLEY, a citizen of the United States,residing in the city and county of Philadelphia, in the State ofPennsylvania, have invented certain new and usefullmprovementsinSalt-Cellars, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to salt retaining and distributing devices, andgenerally to a particular type of such devices which as heretoforeconstructed consist of a receptacle provided with two perforated caps,one, the main cap, applied to the mouth of the receptacle, and theother, the supplementary cap, applied upon and adapted for lateral orrotary movement with respect to said main cap, the arrangement beingsuch that when the supplementary cap is in one position its perforationsregister with those of the main cap, and when in another position itsimperforate portions cover the perforations of the main cap,-with theresult that in the first described position free egress for the contentsof the receptacle is afforded, and in the second position the receptacleis closed and its contents protected from dampness and contamination bydust.

In practical use the perforations of salt cellars of this typefrequently become clogged by the salt to such an extent as to renderthem temporarily unserviceable, and it is the object of my invention toequip a salt cellar of the character referred to with simple andconvenient means by which the perforations may be kept clear and theusefulness of the structure be correspondingly enhanced.

Generally stated, my invention comprehends the provision of a saltcellar, or receptacle for holding salt, pepper, spice, or other granularor pulverized substances, of the foregoing general type in which one ofthe caps is provided with spurs arranged to exist permanently within theperforations of the other, which latter are of sufficient size to permitthe slight movement of one cap with respect to the other, with theresult that when the upper cap is reciprocated laterally or rotated thespurs are caused to move from end to end of the perforations in whichthey are entered,

and to cut away any salt which may'have ac-' cumulated in suchperforations.

In the accompanying drawings I show and herein I describe, a good formof a convenject-matter claimed as novel being hereinafter definitelyspecified.

In the drawings,

Figure 1 isa vertical, sectional, elevational, View of the caps of asalt cellar embodying my invention, removed from the salt-retainingreceptacle, section being supposed on the dotted line 11 of Figure 2.

Figure 2 is a plan of the caps shown in Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a plan view of the main cap shown in Figure 1,-the edge walland the spurs of the supplementary cap being shown in section,and thesection of said edge wall which is shown as serrated being assumed to betaken on the dotted line 3-3 of Figure 1.

Figure 4 is aview in perspective of a complete salt cellar embodying amodified form of my invention.

Figure 5 is a view in perspective of a complete salt cellar embodyinganother modified form of my invention.

Figure 6 is a view in perspective of the supplementary cap representedin Figure 4, removed and shown as inverted.

Figure 7 is a sectional detail of a portion of a cap, illustrating amodified application of the spur- Figure 8 is a view similar to Figure1, illus= trating, however, the spurs as applied to the lower cap.

Figure 9 is view in perspective of a modi fied form of my invention;and,

Figure 10 is a top plan view of still another modified embodiment of myinvention.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts.

Referring to Figures 1, 2, and 3, of the draw ings,-A is the main cap,the same being shown as having a neck a, adapted to be applied to themouth of any suitable salt-containing receptacle, and a perforated heada shown as preferably formed as an integral continuation of the neck,represented as approximately flat as to its upper surface, and which asrepresented is of greater diameter than the neck a,with the result thata bead, flange, or rib a projects beyond said neck.

a are the series of perforations or openings in the upper surface of themain cap A, preferably of rather larger size than is usual in saltcellars of this class, preferably shaped as segmentally curved elongatedopenings of uniform width from end to end, and arranged in concentricrelationship with respect to the axis of the head, and in such mannerthat vertical planes coinciding with the ends of the openings areapproximately radial with respect to said axis, the openings furthermostfrom said axis being, as shown, longer than those nearest said axis.

B is the supplementary cap, mounted upon said main cap in such manner asto adapt it for slight rotary oscillation with respect to the same,conveniently, as shown in Figures 1, 2, and 3, by providing saidsupplementary cap with a depending flange b which extends around andbeneath the bead or rib a of the main cap.

The supplementary cap illustrated in section in Figure 3 differsslightly from that shown in Figures 1 and 2 in that, as stated, it isequipped with a serrated or milled edge If.

The openings b in the supplementary cap correspond in number, size, anddistribution, with the openings in the main cap.

The supplementary cap illustrated in the figures referred to, isprovided with a series of spurs b located onein the vicinity of each ofthe perforations b and extending each through one of the openings a Thespurs b are conveniently formed contemporaneously with the openings 1),by cutting U-shaped incisions in the body of the cap, and bending downthe tongues or flaps thus produced.

When the parts are in the position shown in Figures 1, 2, and 3, theopenings in the respective caps are in registry with each other, and,upon inverting and shaking the containing receptacle, its contents willemerge through them.

Upon the cessation of use of the device, the supplementary cap B maybeturned in the direction indicated by the arrow in Figure 3, with theresult that the imperforate portions of the supplementary cap will becarried over the openings in the main cap, the movement of thesupplementary cap continuing until its spurs encounter the distant endsof said openings, in which position said openings will be completelyclosed.

When salt accumulates in the openings (1 to such an extent as to clogthem, they may be cleared by turning the supplementary cap backward andforward.

The embodiment of my invention shown in Figures 4: and 6 differs fromthat shown in Figures 1, 2, and 3, merely in that the upper orsupplementary cap B is formed as a flat disk of small diameter,preferably provided with a milled edge, and secured upon and withrespect to the main cap by an axial pivot C.

In the embodiment shown in Figure 5 the main cap Ais of quadrangular asopposed to circular plan, and its elongated openings, concealed beneaththe supplementary cap, are disposed with their axes in parallelism.

The supplementary cap B is formed as a quadrangular plate, the two endportions 11 of which are turned down beneath the opposing side edges ofthe main cap. The principle of construction illustrated in Figure 5 isessentially the same as that shown in the figures of the drawingsalready described, the only difference being that' the supplementary capof Figure 5 is adapted to be reciprocated in a right line instead of ina curved line.

In Figure 7 I illustrate a spur which instead of being struck from thebody of the cap B is formed as an independent structure and soldered orotherwise secured to it.

In each of the figures of the drawings thus far described, I illustratethe spurs b as depending from the supplementary cap and working withinthe openings formed in the main cap. Obviously, however, myinvention isnot limited to this particular arrangement, but covers equally itsreversal which comprehends a main cap having tongues entered in openingsformed in a supplementary cap.

Figure 8, otherwise a duplicate of Figure 1, represents such anarrangement as that above mentioned.

D, Figures 4 and 5, represent container bodies of ordinary construction.

In the embodiment of my invention shown in Figure 9, portions of theupper cap which are so to speak, idle, are removed,leaving the cap inthe form of a six pointed star. In the embodiment referred to theperforations in the main cap are disposed in rows radial with respect tothe axis of the cap, with the result that the radially disposed arms bin one position of the supplementary cap, cover said openings. The spursb depend of course from the radial arms b and the operation of thedevice is of course the same as that of the structures alreadydescribed.

My invention would to a degree be present in the structure of Figure 9even if the perforations of the main cap were so large that the radialarms b failed to cover them, inasmuch as even in such a construction thespurs of the said supplemental skeleton cap would be present in theperforations, and, in the rotative oscillation of said supplementalskeleton cap, operative to clean such perforations.

In the construction illustrated in Figure 10 the upper cap B has spurs bwhich respectively present through each of the perforations or openingsof the lower main cap, and the lower or main cap likewise has spurs bwhich respectively present through each of the openings of the upper orsupplementary cap with the result that the perforations of both theupper and lower caps maybe simultaneously cleared.

Having thus described my invention, I claim- 1. In combination, a maincap embodying openings, a supplementary cap structure supported oversaid main cap, means for holding said supplementary cap structure inconstant contact with said main cap but free for lateral movement withrespect thereto, and tongues mounted on one of said structures andprojecting into the openings formed in the other,-substantially as setforth.

2. The combination to form a top for a salt cellar, of a main capembodying-elongated openings, a supplementary cap also embodyingelongated openings, means for securing said supplementary cap upon themain cap free for lateral movement With respect thereto, and spursmounted upon one of said caps and permanently existing Within theopenings in the other cap, substantially as set forth.

3. The combination to form a top for a salt cellar, of a main capembodying elongated concentric openings, a supplementary cap alsoembodying elongated concentric openings, means for securing saidsupplementary cap upon the main cap free for rotary oscillation withrespect thereto, and spurs mounted upon said supplementary cap andextending into the openings in the main cap, substantially as set forth.

4. The combination to form the top of a salt cellar, of a main capembodying elongated openings, a supplementary cap in Which U- shapedtongues have been formed and bent I down to project through openingsofthe main cap, and means for securing said supplementary cap upon themain cap free for rotary oscillation with respect thereto, substantiallyas set forth.

5. The combination to form the top of a salt cellar, of a main capformed with a neck and a head having a projecting rib or bead, asupplementary cap mounted upon said main cap and having a dependingflange bent beneath the rib or bead of the said main cap, openings freefor lateral movement with respect thereto, tongues mounted on saidsupplemental structureand projecting into the perforations of the maincap, substantially as set forth.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as myinvention I have hereuntosigned my name this 6th day of October, A. D. 1898.

HENRY BINLEY. In presence of J. BONSALL TAYLOR, F. NORMAN DIXON.

